I have a man-crush on Patty Mills...

[lewisnotmiller]

...because how could you not?

One of the things I love about sports is that very, very, very rare occasion when a person you completely respect for their sporting prowess is also someone more generally worthy of respect. As of now, I'm elevating Patty to the same ridiculous esteem I have held Lauren Jackson in, lo these many years.

And for all you folks who don't follow International basketball...well...this might not make much sense. But I'm pretty sure the people that do know exactly what I mean.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

He does have a nice beard.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

A few recent links on his place in the Australian Olympic Team as flag-bearer, on the indigenous youth basketball program he has helped found, as well as his actual on-court play in our first game.

Patty Mills flew three flags in Tokyo: one in his hand and two in his heart | Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 | The Guardian

Mills denied Indigenous flag for Tokyo opening ceremony (sen.com.au)

Patty Mills launches Indigenous Community Basketball League - National Indigenous Times

'Staying in the trenches together': Patty Mills carries Boomers home in gritty Nigeria battle (theroar.com.au)

For any basketball geeks here (quite possibly none...lol), the Boomers made 11 threes in our first game. Mills shot five of them, and directly assisted on 4 others. (video included in link directly above this).

The guy's fingerprints were all over it.
The best teams are going to be throwing 2 and 3 defenders at him all night.

 

[Deeje]

...because how could you not?

One of the things I love about sports is that very, very, very rare occasion when a person you completely respect for their sporting prowess is also someone more generally worthy of respect. As of now, I'm elevating Patty to the same ridiculous esteem I have held Lauren Jackson in, lo these many years.

And for all you folks who don't follow International basketball...well...this might not make much sense. But I'm pretty sure the people that do know exactly what I mean.

Until recently I didn't know his name was "Patty"....I assumed it was "Paddy" and wondered how an Australian Aboriginal ended up with a Irish moniker. That's how much I am into sport......

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Until recently I didn't know his name was "Patty"....I assumed it was "Paddy" and wondered how an Australian Aboriginal ended up with a Irish moniker. That's how much I am into sport......

Heh...a Canadian commentator saw Mills and Cate Campbell carrying the flag in the opening ceremony, saw his name, and made a comment about Australia having 2 women carrying the flag.

It's okay not to be into sports (of course)! But I think he's an Aussie worthy of respect regardless of sporting prowess.

 

[Deeje]

Heh...a Canadian commentator saw Mills and Cate Campbell carrying the flag in the opening ceremony, saw his name, and made a comment about Australia having 2 women carrying the flag.

It's okay not to be into sports (of course)! But I think he's an Aussie worthy of respect regardless of sporting prowess.

Yep, seems like an all round nice guy. Great representative of his culture and his sport.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Just to round this out, the Boomers (Australian men's basketball team) won bronze. Whilst that sounds kinda nice, this is the first medal the men's program has ever won, and follows us finishing fourth 5 times.
Given where the program has been, etc, this was a major achievement, and there were plenty of tears.

Patty scored 42 in the bronze medal game, and was third in scoring per game for the tournament. Not bad for an aging short guy. But...as I mentioned before...it's really his abiity to demonstrate actual leadership (as opposed to the rah rah crap we commonly mistake for it these days) and to sacrifice for the greater good that I respect.

No need to be a basketball fan to enjoy the following links...

Patty Mills and the Boomers's Olympic Games' triumph provides lessons for Australia's leaders (msn.com)
Patty Mills' history of charity work beyond basketball. (mamamia.com.au)